2014 August

08.29.14

Well, since it happened at a private prison, it’s hard to know – privately-run prisons lack the transparency required at state-run facilities. During the incident and the days following the uprising, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the for-profit company that runs the prison, kept its lips sealed.

08.28.14

There is something about great movies that is hard to describe, but impossible to ignore. The images, sounds and the darkness of the theater create a feeling that grabs you and says, “Pay attention, this is important.”

The Puffin Collaborative Film Festival (PCFF) is built around that feeling.

08.26.14

Save October 12, 2014 on your calendar to learn what religious liberty means post-Greece v. Galloway. Join in the conversation with ACLU of Ohio Staff Attorney Drew Dennis as he discusses the current state of religious liberty with plaintiff Susan Galloway and her choice to speak out against official prayer at public meetings.

08.26.14

The law does allow clinics to be granted an exception (known as a variance) to the transfer agreement requirement if they can prove that an alternative plan is in place for emergencies. However, HB59 also gave the Ohio Department of Health director wider scope to deny these exceptions than was previously granted.

08.25.14

Since the 1970s, termination of pregnancy has become legal and accessible in most developed countries. In the U.S., however, women have experienced only barriers. With a focus on patients, opponents have used waiting periods; mandated, medically unnecessary tests; healthcare coverage bans; gestational limits; and required counseling to construct barriers to accessing abortion.

08.22.14

“I didn’t realize, while I was on the bench that when I sentenced someone to 5-6 years I was sentencing them to life”. Those are the words of former Stark County Common Pleas Judge Harry Klide, who sat with me recently to discuss criminal justice reform.

08.15.14

It shouldn’t be news to anyone who has read a paper or watched television that there are significant problems with lethal injection. This year, Ohio, Oklahoma and Arizona have all had executions that left witnesses with little doubt that they were botched.

08.08.14

There is a crisis going on and, like all crises, things are not working out perfectly. In this case, the latest concern is the estimated 57,000+ people who have found their way to the southern border of the U.S. and into the country.

08.07.14

Voting can be hard. The merits of candidates, sides of issues, and conflicting messages force us to make difficult decisions at the voting booth. We often have hard conversations with family, friends, and colleagues that examine our beliefs and challenge our thinking.

08.06.14

This guest blog post comes from Deb Green, who graciously chose to share her story of what it was like growing up gay and transgender in a small area from Northwest Ohio in the 1970’s. After finding the love of her life, Lillie Ward (Lil), they were unfortunately unable to openly be together.

08.04.14

While Americans of all political persuasions continue the debate about who enters this country and under what circumstances, an important development is taking place under the radar, away from the yelling.

For several years, local jails have cooperated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to screen all new prisoners.